Hardy’s Thomas Hardy Cabernet is named for the founder of the heritage Australian brand, who founded his namesake label back in 1853. A classic fruit-pure medium-bodied style, the Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon displays bright cassis fruit, supported by a backbone of fine-grained tannins and toasty cedary oak. Grapes come from premium parcels in Margaret River. A fine testament to the work of. the legendary Hardy's pioneer.
Deep crimson. Classic cassis, blackberry, black olive tapenade, leafy aromas with vanilla, cedar notes. Well balanced powerful wine with saturated blackcurrant, dark plum, praline, brambly flavours, fine grainy/ al-dente tannins, and underlying cedar oak complexity. Finishes leafy firm with plentiful dark fruits and extract. Superb fruit definition, volume and torque. Cellar for a while. 14.5% alc 2024-2040
98 points (2021)
It seems this vintage of Thomas Hardy is straight Coonawarra (often it’s a multi-regional blend). Excellent dark purple hue. It's deep, rich and complex. More savoury accents among the hint of cassis and currants. Concentrated, with a density across the full-bodied palate, yet the oak is seamlessly integrated, the tannins ripe and plush. A rather polished wine, built for aging.
96 points, Wine Companion (March 2021)
Very dark, concentrated red/black colour with a slight tint of purple, the bouquet black-fruited and very ripe, almost jammy, with a trace of creosote and a seaweed and nori aspect. Coonawarra-like crushed-leafiness came up with time in the glass. It has a full-body and savoury dryness thanks to ample tannins. The tannins outlast the flavour a fraction, leaving a very dry aftertaste. A very intense, almost overpowering wine, that will surely reward long cellaring.
95 points, The Real Review (July 2021)
Coonawarra
The first vines were planted in Coonawarra by John Riddoch in 1890, however it was not until the renewed interest in table wine production in the 1950's that Coonawarra was brought into the limelight. Located almost 380 km southeast of Adelaide, Coonawarra is today one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia. Its weathered limestone terra rossa soils, avaibility of water and relatively cool maritime climate make it a unique viticultural region. Extremely flat and unprotected, Coonawarra is exposed both to the swinging influences of the cool Great Southern Ocean and hot, dry northerly winds. Spring frosts also pose a major threat with the potential to wipe out entire crops. Mechanical harvesting is widely employed in the region although smaller producers prefer to tend their vines by hand. Coonawarra is best known for classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, although in good years, Shiraz from the region is also very compelling.
